By: J. Daniel Pearson

They fought, clawed and battled but at the end of the day,Osceola fell just short of a championship game appearance, dropping a four-setter to second-ranked Winter Park (25-22, 22-25, 24-26, 25-22) at the FHSAA Class 7A Volleyball Championships at Polk State College in Winter Haven.

“Super proud of how we competed tonight,” Osceola coach Carrie Palmi said of her team that finishes the season with a 24-5 record. “In matches like this, every point is important and every error is magnified. Unfortunately, they made a few more plays than we did.”

Osceola jumped out to a 19-16 lead in Set 1, but Winter Park went on a 6-2 to take a 23-22 lead and held on for the win. The second set went back and forth and featured nine tied 4-1 run put the Kowboys up, 18-15. A pair of kills from Isabel Incinelli and Amelia Mancino put the Wildcats back on top 22-21. But the Lady Kowboys regained the momentum as Cate Palmi came up with a kill and Sophie Spivey had to two huge blocks at the net for points. Osceola closed out the set o Wildcat net violation and the match was tied at a set each.

Winter Park dominated the third set grabbing leads of 12-7 and 17-12. Still Osceola would fight back behind the Jordin Southall (2 aces and a kill) and Cate Palmi (2 kills). A block at the net by Brooklyn Sippio and a kill by Southall would tie the set at 24-24. But from there, Mancini would get a kill and a return error by Osceola on the next point gave Winter Park the set and a 2-1 lead.

Osceola would trail early in the fourth set, falling behind 7-3 and 13-10. They would rally back at 18-17 and appeared to take a 2-point lead but a controversial double hit violation on a nifty misdirection his by Osceola’s Andrea Rodriguez cost them a point. That spurred a 5-0 run as Winter Park took a commanding 22-19 lead. A long serve by Winter Park, a Palmi kill and a net violation call on the Wildcats tied the set at 22-22.

But a Mancini kill was followed by a return error by Osceola and on match point a set by Osceola went into the net sending Winter Park (26-1) into Saturday’s 7A championship game.”We had our chances tonight,” Southall said following the losses. When a match is tight, momentum can swing on one play or one mistake. I thought we played pretty well tonight but they just made the extra play or two they needed.”

For the match, Palmi led Osceola with 23 kills, Southall had 19; while Sippio and Spivey checked in with 16 each. Giada Vidi led Winter Park with 23 kills, Mancino added 19 and Amber McClain had 16.

It was the second time Osceola had faced Winter Park this year. Osceola dropped a three-setter at home to the Wildcats on Sept. 25 but went on a nine-match winning streak before Friday’s loss.

Osceola has appeared in two Final Fours and a Regional Final in the last three years, compiling a 74-17 record in the process. With its three top outside hitters, libero and top middle blocker returning, Coach Palmi believes her team has a good chance of returning to the Final Four next year, “We graduate a great setter in Andrea Rodriguez, but most everyone else is back and will be a year older and a year more experienced.We absolutely expect to get back here next year,”